Tourney comes from 18th century Victorian romanticised idea of knights in shining armour. Prior to this it was rarely used in English, being a French word from the 14th century that itself was based on Latin and English. Instead of tourney, the English prior to Victorian airy fairy knights who lacked blood, guts, and gore, quite sensibly used the word "tournament".

"Oh priv thee syre! Shall we enter the tourney?" he said to the knight; "What you chattin' about boy? Are you some kind of snotling? I am a knight. I shall enter tournaments and risk my life for little reward."